Comentarii de Bello Populi
The Comenttarii de Bello Populi, or the Commentaries on the People's War, is a short leaflet written by Chairman Grax after the Revolution of 1441. It describes in detail the days before the revolution. It makes heavy reference to Baldur Republican Government. The party recovered a copy of the leaflet from Marcus Fairlan's bag of holding after his death in the Ruin of Baldur. It is typeset and has the word "DUPLICITOUS " in hex code scrawled in the back in Marcus's handwriting. Ashra has become obsessed with analysis of the errors in the document, which she believes to be some sort of secret code. During the finale of Season Ten, Ashra quoted repeatedly from the Comentarii when the party challenged her ability to fill the office of CEO, a sign that the party's betrayal had caused her to identify more with her brother. Chapter One When Chairman Grax's letter was delivered to the Ruling Council, a hard struggle of the Illithid Guildhome System Potentates prevailed on it to suffer the letter to be read in the senate; but the Guildhome Potentates could not prevail, that any question should be put to the senate on the subject of the letter. The Highman put the question on the regulation of the state. Highman Vargus, the human President, promised that he would not fail the senate and republic, if they declared their sentiments boldly and resolutely. But, if they turned their regard to Grax, and courted his favor, as they did on former occasions, he would adopt a plan for himself, and not submit to the authority of the senate. He too had a means of regaining Grax's favor and friendship: the sword. Senator Upton spoke to the same purport, that it was Vargus's intention not to abandon the republic, if the senate would support him; but if they should hesitate and act without energy, they would in vain implore his aid, if they should require it hereafter. Chapter Two This speech of Senator Upton's, as the senate was convened in the city, and Vargus was near at hand, seemed to have fallen from the lips of Vargus himself. Some delivered their sentiments with more moderation, as Malicor first, who in the beginning of his speech, said, “the question ought not to be put to the senate on this matter, till levies were made throughout all the continent, and armies raised under whose protection the senate might freely and safely pass such resolutions as they thought proper." Theodore Franko said then, "Vagus should set out for his province (Port Wyatt), that there might be no cause for arms; that Grax was naturally apprehensive of Vargus’s demand that he lay down his imperitium in the face of a conspiracy by the Circle of the True to assassinate him, and that the two respective parties should retreat from the city to await further clarification in the form of municipal elections, and that furthermore the Festival of Nerul was approaching, after which elections were traditionally held.” Chapter Three They were all harshly rebuked by Vargus, who peremptorily refused to propose Franko's motion. Malicor, overawed by his reproofs, retracted his opinion. Thus most of the senate, intimidated by the expressions of the President, by the fears of his present army, and the threats of Vargus's friends, unwillingly and reluctantly adopted Upton's opinion, that Grax should disband his army by a certain day, and should he not do so, he should he considered as acting against the state. Charilus and Xoth, senators of the people, interposed. The question was immediately put on their interposition. Violent opinions were expressed; whoever spoke with the greatest acrimony and cruelty was most highly commended by Grax's enemies. Chapter Four The senate having broken up in the evening, all who belonged to that order were summoned by Vargus. He applauded their progress, and secured their votes for the next day; the more moderate he reproved and excited against Grax. Many veterans troops, from all parts, who had served in Vargus's armies, were invited to his standard by the hopes of rewards and promotions. The city and the Senate House were crowded with senators, councilmen, and veterans. All the president's friends, all Vargus's connections, all those who bore any ancient enmity to The Motherbrain and all those bearing back-taxes to the state, were forced into the senate house. By their concourse and declarations the timid were awed, the irresolute confirmed, and the greater part deprived of the power of speaking their sentiments with freedom. Pyotar Umarov, the censor of the northern territories, offered to go to Grax: as did likewise Brezcar, the orcish representative, though he and his race had no vote in the senate, to inform him of these affairs, and require only six days' time to finish the business. Opinions were expressed by some to the effect that commissioners should be sent to Grax to acquaint him with the senate's pleasure. Chapter Five All the moderate proposals were rejected, and opposition made to them all, in the speeches of the President. An old grudge against Grax and chagrin at a defeat actuated Vargus. Senator Upton was wrought upon by the magnitude of his debts, and the hopes of having imperitum of an army and provinces, and by the presents which he expected from such townships as should receive the title of friend of the republic, and boasted among his friends, that he would be a second Avimeus, to whom the supreme authority should return. Similar hopes of a province and armies, which he expected to share with Vargus on account of his connection with him, urged on Fairlan; and moreover he was influenced by the fear of being called to trial for his gross misconduct during the Goneril Boarder Incident. Vargus himself, incited by Grax's enemies, because he was unwilling that any person should bear an equal degree of dignity, had wholly alienated himself from the mindflayer's friendship, and procured a reconciliation with their common enemies, Barron Ganth and Queen Rebecc-is of Goneril; the greatest part of whom he had himself fought with Grax during his affinity with him. He was anxious to bring matters to a war. Chapter Six For these reasons every thing was done in a hasty and disorderly manner, and neither was time given to Grax's relations to inform him of the state of affairs, nor liberty to the senators of the people to deprecate their own danger, nor even to retain the last privilege of the president of the senate, which even the Dudek Kings had left them, the power to collectively veto the consilium of the Ruling Council. Thus, in a state of falicified emergency, that the senate and the ruling council had not declared since the city’s founding, even when the city was on fire: "that the consuls, potentates, and the senators of the people should take care that the state received no injury." The senators of the people Charilus, Malicor and Xoth, along with the Potentates of the Illithid and Orcish Guildhomes, immediately made their escape from the city, and withdrew to Grax, who was then at Landover, awaiting an answer to his moderate demands; to see if matters could be brought to a peaceful termination by any equitable act on the part of his enemies. Chapter Seven During the succeeding days the senate convened outside the city. Vargus repeated the same things which he had declared through Senator Upton. He applauded the courage and firmness of the Ruling Council, acquainted them with his force, and told them that he had ten legions ready; that he was moreover informed and assured that Grax's soldiers were disaffected, and that Grax could not persuade them to defend or even follow him. Motions were made in the senate concerning other matters; that levies should be made through all the lands; that Faustus should be sent as potentate into the underdark; that money should be granted to Vargus from the public treasury. It was also put to the vote that Barron Ganth should be honored with the title of friend and ally, but the representative of the humans said that he would not allow this motion for the present. Levies were made throughout the land, arms demanded, and money exacted from the municipal towns, and violently taken from the temples. All distinctions between things human and divine were confounded. Chapter Eight These things being made known to Grax, he harangued his soldiers; he reminded them of the wrongs done to him at all times by his enemies, and complained that Vargus had been alienated from him and led astray by them through envy and a malicious opposition to his glory, though he had always favored and promoted Vargus's honor and dignity. He complained that an innovation had been introduced into the republic, that the intercession of the president of the senate, which had been restored a few years before by Lady Elan, was branded as a crime, and suppressed by force of arms; that Vargus, who pretended to restore what they had lost of the old republic, had taken away the privileges which the potentates of the guildhomes formerly had; namely, that power to elect from among their own population their leaders without repose to natural order; that whenever the ruling council decreed that the senate and magistrates “should take care that the republic sustained no injury' they really meant to impose martial law so that pernicious laws may be proposed; that at all times before when such a measures passed the people had been seceding, or the city on fire, or the temples or eminences of the city were possessed by some terrible creature. That nothing of this kind was attempted now, nor even thought of: that no law was promulgated, no intrigue with the people going forward, no secession made; he exhorted them to defend from the malice of his enemies the reputation and honor of that lieutenant colonel under whose command they had for most successfully supported the state, Malicor; fought many successful battles, and subdued all of Kings Reach. The soldiers of the Army of the Senate, which Malicor had assembled through levies of the people, all cried out that they were ready to defend their general, the republic, the senators of the commons, and the potentates of the guildhomes from all injuries. Chapter Nine Having made himself acquainted with the disposition of his soldiers, Grax set off with that legion to Baldur, and there met the senators, who had fled to him for protection; he called his other legions from winter quarters; and ordered them to follow him. Category:Personal Accounts Category:Documents Category:Primary Source